Posted: 9/4/2011 6:57:35 PM EDT
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What are you guys / girls using for duck hunting?
Would an 18" barrel be okay for 100 yard shots? Most duck guns seem to have 28" barrels. What shot size do you use? |
Sure....if you are using Bismuth slugs. 
Seriously, a 100 yard shot isn't going to work for you. Get closer to the action. I use a 12ga Mossberg 835 with a 28" barrel. I use 3 1/2" shells and rarely shoot over 40 yards. My success rate is close to 90% when I pull the trigger.....and I practice a LOT with this particular gun. I would suggest learning what the ducks and geese are doing by scouting just like you would for deer. Go hang out where you plan to hunt and watch what happens. Then you can set up your decoys accordingly. Good luck! ETA: Shooting tips for waterfowl (Number 3 is my personal favorite). Also, I use #3 or #4 for ducks....depending where I'm setting up at in relationship to my decoys. For geese, I have better luck with T-Shot out of my gun with a modified choke....always under 40 yards for my goose shots, though. Here's my kill on opening day. I had to work, then rushed out to my spot on the shoreline to get one. 1/2 mile trek through the woods and back carrying gear with very little sleep. This one wore my butt out! I could have busted three, but didn't feel like wading/swimming to get the other two if I had shot. 25 to 30 yard shot using 8 shell goose decoys, two floating mallard decoys, and a heron confidence decoy. This early season set-up always works like a champ for me. 
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Sure, that 18" barrel would be as good as anything for 100yd shots at birds on the wing.  Seriously, I typically use a Mossberg 935 with a 26" barrel (backup gun is a Mossberg 835 w/28" barrel) with either #2 or #4 shot for ducks and won't take a shot over 40 yards (unless I misjudge it horribly).
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an 18" barrel would be fine for any shots inside 25 yards. which is where I like to kill my ducks. I am guessing you don't have changeable chokes but if you do you could throw in a mod and be just fine. rifle sights are gonna make hitting birds difficult but use what you got I guess. As far as shot size, pick up a few boxes of steel in anything from #4 to #2 and see what your gun likes best at the distance you expect to be shooting. 100 yards is an unrealistic distance.
If you are just here trolling then disregard 'cuz you don't care anyway... |
| I use a benelli super black eagle II with a 28 inch barrel and a patternmaster long range or extended range choke. 100 yards is just not going to happen i have seen 60 yard shots mad before that dropped the bird stone cold dead but i wouldnt suggest anything over 40 yards. |
| A $299 Remington 870 Express that comes with a 26" barrel will work just fine (but not for 100 yard shots, you need magic for that). It's my only shotgun and I use it for dove, duck, and I even took 2 sandhill cranes with it last year. All using the cheapest shells (2.75" for dove and 3" steel for ducks/crane) |
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This is not a "troll" thread. I don't know what the effective range of a shotgun is. I know, roughly, how mine patterns with certain shot sizes. I've heard steel shot is very bad for barrels. I think I might try tungsten instead (if I'm in a lead free zone). The consensus seems to be that #2 - #4 is best for ducks and also turkey. What effect does barrel length have on distance? (I will not be going for max distance, I am curious.) |
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Quoted:
This is not a "troll" thread. I don't know what the effective range of a shotgun is. I know, roughly, how mine patterns with certain shot sizes. I've heard steel shot is very bad for barrels. I think I might try tungsten instead (if I'm in a lead free zone). The consensus seems to be that #2 - #4 is best for ducks and also turkey. What effect does barrel length have on distance? (I will not be going for max distance, I am curious.) Essentially none. You might see a 100fps or so difference between a 30" and an 18", but the difference between a 24" and a 30" is going to be extremely minimal. Steel shot is not bad for barrels, unless you're shooting a gun that is very old and cannot handle steel shot through the choke. There is no such thing as a "lead-free zone" for waterfowl, as non-toxic shot is a federal regulation. What distances have you patterned your gun at? It should be blatantly apparent how limited the range of a shotgun is from patterning... ETA: I see you're looking at an 18" barrel. Does it have choke tubes? An 18" isn't particularly desirable, but if it's all you have, you can make it work. Depending on the load, you may see decreased velocity. Many shotgun powders burn very quickly, meaning a shorter barrel would likely not result in much lower speeds, but there are some that are designed to "stage" their burn, relying on barrel length to build pressure and velocity. |
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The longer barrels are recommended for the 'swing' and follow thru. That's why u see the 28 - 30" barrels on the skeet / trap guns. The longer / heavier barrels are easier to maintain a good swing on the bird. If you're hunting in a blind with others, pls do not bring the 18 inch barrel with u. You'll SERIOUSLY ring the ears of the person next to you. (Magnum shells going off next to your ears isn't fun) and it's much more dangerous since it's easier to swing in front of someone else in the blind. We do not allow anyone to hunt in the blind with us, with anything less than 26".
Edit: Shot size: kind of depends on where you're hunting. I normally use #1 or 2 in rice field and 4 in swamp. |